Wind farm on cards

Plans are afoot to build the State’s second biggest wind farm at Lake Clifton which will produce enough energy to power 55,000 homes.

The proposed 108MW wind farm will house up to 36 turbines standing 95m tall on a 980ha site between Clifton Beach and Lake Clifton.

Cape Bouvard Energy, a subsidiary of Cape Bouvard Investments, is the proponent of the project which is expected to cost $400 million and be operational by mid-2015.

According to the company’s website, the company has not yet lodged a development application for the project however it expected to do so by May this year.

The project is expected to generate between seven and 12 full-time jobs when fully operational and 30 and 50 jobs during construction.

The project is adjacent to the Yalgorup National Park and is situated within the area of the Gnaala Karla Booja native title claim.

Consultants engaged by the project have indicated the project will cause no significant environmental impacts on the area’s thrombolites or local birdlife and will have no adverse impact on groundwater flowing into Lake Clifton.

Wind farms have been a contentious issue in other areas of the State with fears of bird strikes and the effects of low-frequency noise or infra-sound reportedly causing health problems among people living nearby.

Lake Clifton Herron Progress Association president Tracey Timmens called on Cape Bouvard to consult with the local community.

‘‘Hopefully they’ll have a community information day, somewhere they can put the info in layman’s terms,’’ she said.

‘‘At the moment we just don’t know, we have our concerns but at the moment we don’t know all of the details.

‘‘They need to contact us and not the other way round.’’

She said the local council seemed to think the area was a dumping ground for industry despite its location close to national parks.

The association held a meeting about the project on Tuesday and will wait for more information on the project.

Cape Bouvard Energy was unavailable to comment on the project when contacted by the South Western Times